International Conference on Arts, Design and Contemporary Education (ICADCE 2015) History of Formation of the Russian School of Design

Anna Goncharova Russian State Specialized Arts Academy Moscow, Russia e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract—This article is dedicated to the history of design In 1920, by a decree of Sovnarkom the Higher Arts and education in Russia from its origin to further development. We Technical Workshops (in Russian, VHUTEMAS) was discuss the activities of the school of Soviet design created through the merger of the First and Second SGHMs. VHUTEMAS–VHUTEIN, its new methods of teaching and It was aimed to raise "artists-craftsmen of the highest new design principles, many of which have become canonical qualification for the industry" and teachers for artistic and for design. technical education. The creation of VHUTEMAS marked the beginning of the second stage of the reform of artistic Keywords — history of design; the national school of design; education in Soviet Russia during which a national school of artistic and technical education; VHUTEMAS–VHUTEIN design was formed. In 1927 VHUTEMAS was renamed in I. THE EARLY 1900’S VHUTEIN –Higher Arts and Technical Institute. In 1930 due to the reform of higher education, which was associated Since the beginning of the XXth century the artistic with the transfer of many of the technical institutes from the education in Russia has had a growing number of serious control of Narkompros to industry-specific authorities, contradictions caused primarily by the fact that the academic VHUTEIN was closed. Instead the following institutes were training system was isolating the students from the latest opened: architectural, arts (now named after Surikov), trends in art and did not meet the changing needs that the printing, and the textile industry. industrial development was causing in the arts schools. The teachers of VHUTEMAS had to solve some of the In 1918 in the post-revolutionary Russia a reform of greatest challenges: to develop "objective methods" of artistic education was made. Under the resolution of teaching the artistic disciplines, while contrasting them from Narkompros the Stroganov School of Industrial Art and the the "guild" methods that were used in SGHMs; to develop a School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in Moscow common methodology of teaching various artistic disciplines, were turned into the First and Second Free Public Arts thereby bringing closer the artistic and technical education Workshops respectively (in Russian, SGHMs). The main within one institute. In addition, based on the specific idea behind the creation of SGHMs was to part from the requirements of the era, it was necessary to refocus the academic teaching methods and to introduce a new system of training of artists from easel painting to work in the industry. individual workshops. Each student was given the right to study in a workshop lead by an artist of his or her choice. II. THE FACULTIES Thus, while being part of the First and the Second SGHM in By the end of 1923 VHUTEMAS had developed a two- Moscow, many of the most known representatives of the tier system of training. For the first two years students of all Russian avant-garde (V. Tatlin, K. Malevich, V. Kandinsky, disciplines were studying an propaedeutic course on the so- I. Mashkov and others) began to create their own teaching called main faculty, after which they moved over to one of methodologies. Each of them was based on the achievements the eight faculties: architecture, painting, sculpture, of modern art and was reviewing the established methods of metallurgy, lumber, ceramic, textile, printing (graphic). artists’ curriculum. At the main faculty the students got general artistic Such a system of teaching lasted for two years (1918- education. Many valuable methodical finds had been made 1920) and immediately identified a number of contradictions during the formation of this faculty. This course along with within it. First of all, a complete denial of academic training the introductory course "Bauhaus" was a pioneer among all destroyed everything really valuable that was developed over the similar courses of other modern design schools. decades of professional artistic practical training. The Propaedeutic course included such disciplines as "Volume", students of SGHMs, getting acquainted with the latest artistic "Space", "Color" and "Graphics" for students of all trends, instead of getting a broad arts education in fact were specialties. Instead of the traditional work with nature it was perfecting the professional techniques of their SGHM leader. proposed to create abstract geometric compositions that will This situation could satisfy neither teacher or student. It has identify plastic peculiarities of the elements of the become clear that the rejected academic system of teaching composition in each of the four states of form. For the first should be replaced with a new, carefully developed two years of studies, all the students of VHUTEMAS were educational system. studying the basic types of spatial arts, both with their common, unifying features and special, unique features. The

© 2015. The authors - Published by Atlantis Press 521 students were learning the main elements and means of structures; from items made of metal to items combining artistic expression of form: color, space, surface, volume, as metal with wood, ceramics, leather and other materials. well as the methods and language of compositional creativity — proportion, rhythm, dynamics, contrasts, and The first training assignments in construction were the patterns of visual perception of the subject environment. projects to develop the primitive everyday things: a spoon, The main goal of the propaedeutic course was to develop door handle, pot, iron, scissors, horseshoe. According to creative thinking, figurative and spatial imagination, feeling Rodchenko, it is necessary to learn to be creative when of plastics, and the feeling of line and color. It is here where working with a simple everyday thing, to find an original and the universal basics of all artistic specialties were formed. rational solution of a design and shape in order to later be able to repeatedly use this solution in the production. When talking about design school established in VHUTEMAS–VHUTEIN two faculties are mainly meant – During the study a lot of attention was paid to metal processing (in Russian, metfak) and wood processing engineering and technical disciplines which was explained (in Russian, derfak), which were united into one faculty in largely by the urgent need to develop Russian industry. It 1926 (in Russian, dermetfak) with two autonomous branches. was reflected in the design of multifunctional mobile objects: folding stand-showcase, armchair turning into a bed, The new method of teaching and the new principles of transforming tables and so on. The construction of such design were tested for the first time in Russia at the wood objects was valued for the ways to use the space, allowing and metal processing faculties. They were not based on objects to unfold and fold in space. These projects were stylization but on the functional requirements, taking into made by using real materials — this allowed checking a account the cultural aspect and industrial technology. student's ability to work with different materials, as well as his or her knowledge of machines and tools. The artistic side III. DEVELOPING TEACHING METHODS of a project was primarily shown as inventive activity aimed The teachers of the metal and wood processing faculties at finding an original, functional and technically justified were A. Rodchenko, El. Lissitzky, V. Tatlin and other object. representatives of industrial art. The guiding principles of Students of the wood processing faculty, guided by their work were: efficient use of materials and constructions, A. Lavinsky and El. Lissitzky, developed projects of built-in rational use of space, and the versatility and mobility of furniture for communal houses, unified and standard products. Any kind of beautification was strongly denied. A furniture, and furniture for specific projects. Lissitzky led the lot of attention was paid to the hygienic side of goods. Many students to design the equipment for real apartments, used of these principles later became canonical for design. both in a mass and experimental construction. Many of his A. Rodchenko was leading the professional development developments marked the beginning of Soviet-style interiors. at metal processing faculty for 10 years. The concept of When Vladimir Tatlin had come to the wood processing design developed by him can be considered as one of the faculty (1928), a new subject emerged — "Culture of systems of design education. materia". Students were making abstract sculpture Design included several stages: from the formulation of compositions (installations) made of a combination of glass, project objectives, analysis of the materials being used, the wood, wire, etc. The second part of the exercise was the characteristics of an object’s use, its appearance and value – design of objects aimed to match different materials to the preparation of work drawings and models of life-size esthetically. that were made of natural materials. IV. THE EVOLUTION OF LEARNING Learning activities were developed as two separate During the same years, the teaching syllabus of directions: the construction of an object — "construction", metallurgy faculty was changing. New requirements were and the metal processing of an object — "composition". put in place - the complexity of the design. The senior year The "Composition" course helped students to master the students had to develop a complex of objects rather than technology of treating surface, developed skills of artistic separate objects, such as equipment for a photo printing shop, and decorative design of an object "based on the consumer museum, bus stop. A new concept appears — "the culture of needs." The formulation of a particular function subordinated an object." One of the first tasks for the design - "Selection the decoration of an object inferior to the object’s function. It of ready-made objects": the students designed taking objects could be a trademark, illuminated advertising, drawing for from a catalog, i.e. they had to be able to combine objects in tile, tram stop sign or a badge. Also, decoration of the surface a space and choose them based on style, color, and purpose. of an object was based not on the manual but on the Rodchenko invented an instrument allowing the exploration industrial technology: the ways of stamping were explored, of things - the course "Technical Drawing". Drawing also etching, electroplating, coloring, methods of printing. becomes one of the stages of design. The second type of task was designed to train After studying the variety of objects the student’s next construction skills. Learning activities for construction were task was to "Simplify the existing object" (to remove any made with the increasing complexity from project to project: elements of beautification, to identify construction, remove from the things that perform only one function to the broken parts); "To improve the existing object" (to make multifunctional pieces; from simple to more complex it more comfortable, functional, to find a new color and material); "A new type of an existing object" (to use a new

522 production process that would radically change its shape); the Board of Ministers of USSR in the area of Science and "New object" (design without a prototype, relying only on Technology. The Institution began its activities with the functionality, consumer and production factors). publication of a magazine called "Technical Aesthetics" and with the release of themed issues of the magazine, which Final assignments for the design included the were talking in big detail about the first wave of Russian development of a set of objects and equipment. Project avant-garde that put the Soviet design on one of the first themes varied between "Hostel", "Cinema", "Street", places in the European esthetics of the period. This was the "Library", "Canteen", and "Park". The project has also raised renaissance of the artistic design. such questions as the creation of an ensemble, search for the achievement of stylistic unity of objects, common color The study of the history and theory of design, creation of theme, decoration method, etc. methods of design, definition of consumer product requirements, psychophysiology and ergonomics have been In the end of the 1920s the Soviet school of how to teach the leading trends in the activities of the Institution for nearly designers has developed theoretically, methodologically and 30 years. In fact, VNIITE has become the leading design organizationally. The faculty of wood and metal processing institution in the USSR and one of the world’s centers of was improving its ties with the industry. The faculty received design development. Advanced research and development of requests for specialists from many cities all over the country. this institution contributed significantly to the formation of A so-called continuous practice of students in the production Western European, American and partly Asian design. was introduced: during the whole year, the students alternated work with studies. Graduates of production Since 1966, the Institution actively searched for an faculties were getting the title of "engineer-artist" or "process aesthetic and technological model of design education. By engineer", with the specialization in an industrial field (wood the mid-80s, as part of the state design development processing or metal processing, textile, ceramic, printing). framework, the model of design education offered by VNIITE had become the leading one in the USSR. It was Production faculties worked as a foundation of based on continuity and modularity. Developed as part of the innovative schools in the field of architecture and design. concept of continuous design education in the USSR, The most influential movements were: in architecture — individual modules and elements of the program helped the rationalism (N. Ladovsky) and constructivism (A. Vesnin), further development of education (and not only in design) in design and printing — constructivism (El Lissitzky, worldwide. A. Rodchenko), school of V. Favorskiy in graphics, ideas of functionalism and standartization (A. Filippov) at the faculty of ceramics. REFERENCES Summing up the analysis of the activities of the Soviet [1] Koveshnikova N.A. The history of design: textbook. M.: Omega-L, school of design VHUTEMAS–VHUTEIN, it must be 2012. 256 p.: ill. emphasized that it originated as a response to the demand of [2] Koveshnikova N.A. Design: History and Theory: textbook for the time at the moment of big social change, which affected students of architecture and design profession M.: Omega-L, 2006. areas of social and cultural relations and materialistic 224 p.: ill. environment of people. All this was a part of special creative [3] Lavrentiev A.N. The history of design: textbook. M.: Gardariki, 2008. and experimental atmosphere in which both teachers and 303 p.: ill. students felt involved in a great cause - they were creating a [4] Mikhailov S., Kuleeva L. Design Basics: textbook for universities. M.: profession. The leaders of VHUTEMAS viewed the raising Soyuz Designerov, 2002. 240 p.: ill. of an artist who was also a production worker as a synthetic [5] Kholmyanskii L.M., Shchipanov A.S. Design: book for students. M.: task of educating a diversified and harmoniously developed Prosveschenie, 1985. 240 p.: ill. employee of a new society. The focus was the identity of the creator, the idea of an universal human being, who has all kinds of project design available to him or her. In general, the school had a humanist view at the social role and practical purpose of the artist in a changing world. In 1930, with the liquidation of VHUTEIN, the developing school of design has virtually stopped its existence. Later it was necessary to re-create a school of artists-designers and this was done with an active participation of the first graduates of the metal processing faculty Z.N. Bykov and A.A. Galaktionov, who ensured the continuity in the development of design education.

V. CONCLUSION Arts and design education was recreated in 1962 in Moscow with the foundation of the State Scientific and Research Institution of Technical Aesthetics (VNIITE), which was open by the decision of the State Committee of

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